Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Remarks on the National Law Enforcement Museum Groundbreaking

Release Date:

October 15, 2010

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryContact: 202-282-8010

Washington, D.C. - Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the National Law Enforcement Museum and delivered the keynote address at the museum's inaugural gala—highlighting the Department's continued partnership with the law enforcement community and honoring the vital contributions of the men and women serving on the frontlines.

"Homeland security begins with hometown security, and law enforcement play a critical role in keeping communities across our nation safe," said Secretary Napolitano. "The National Law Enforcement Museum will pay tribute to the selfless commitment of the men and women in uniform who serve and protect our homeland."

During her remarks, Secretary Napolitano highlighted the National Law Enforcement Museum's role in educating the public on the significant counterterrorism responsibilities of law enforcement.

She discussed the ongoing collaboration between DHS' law enforcement organizations—including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration's Federal Air Marshal Service—and an extensive network of federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners to combat terrorism.

Secretary Napolitano also underscored the Department's unique commitment to equipping local law enforcement, citizens and communities with the tools they need to better understand and counter threats to our nation—getting information and resources out of Washington D.C. and into the hands of law enforcement officers throughout the country.

Further, she emphasized the Department's joint efforts with the Justice Department to expand the nationwide Suspicious Activities Reporting Initiative – an administration effort to train state and local law enforcement to recognize behaviors and indicators related to specific threats and terrorism-related crime; standardize how those observations are documented, vetted and analyzed; and expand and enhance the sharing of those reports with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and DHS. This initiative is being implemented in partnership with state and local officials across the nation and has been launched in 19 locations.